1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a display panel and a display apparatus, and more particular to a display panel which includes LEDs arranged to form pixels for displaying an image, including, for example, a display panel which allows easy arrangement of LEDs in pixel regions during manufacturing, and a display apparatus using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A light emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor light emitting device configured to convert current into light and has attracted much attention in the field of image displays and high-output electronic components due to its high thermal stability and broad bandgap characteristics (0.8 eV to 6.2 eV).
To increase the pixel resolution of a display, the display typically needs to employ smaller LEDs. However, as LEDs become smaller, the use of LEDs in a display becomes more challenging due to technical limitations in manufacturing equipment and obtainable resolution. Accordingly, despite their high efficiency, the use of LEDs in display devices has been limited to such applications as displays for outdoor electronic signboards or backlight units for liquid crystal display (LCD) devices.
Recently, high-efficiency LEDs having good physical and chemical properties have been manufactured, for example in micro-sized or subminiature scale, to be used in full-color LED displays rather than in simple backlight units. Particularly, various attempts have been made to arrange such subminiature LEDs on a TFT (thin-film transistor) switching substrate for typical displays to form pixels for displaying an image. However, to arrange such subminiature LEDs as image display elements in pixel regions of the TFT switching substrate for a display device, changes should be made to the layout and design of the LEDs corresponding, for example, to the area of an image display region of the TFT switching substrate, pixel size, resolution, and the like.
Further, it is more difficult to change the layout and design of subminiature LEDs corresponding to characteristics of a TFT switching substrate for so-called narrow-bezel or zero-bezel display panels, which are emerging recently. In other words, it is difficult to adjust the layout and design of the subminiature LEDs, for example, with respect to the size of the connection pads in a non-display region of the TFT switching substrate, the size of the substrate, the size of pixels, pixel resolution, and the like.
Particularly, some typical TFT switching substrates for narrow-bezel or zero-bezel display panels are designed such that pixel regions adjacent to an outer pad region are different in size than pixel regions at the center of the base substrate. Accordingly, even if the layout and design of subminiature LEDs are changed corresponding to the characteristics of a TFT switching substrate for narrow-bezel or zero-bezel display panels, the structure or pattern of LEDs in pixel regions at an outer periphery of the substrate may be different from that of LEDs in central pixel regions. As a result, automated design and efficient panel inspection are difficult, if not impossible, which can lead to an increase in defects.